Stanford Powers Past California in ACC Tournament Opening Round

The Las Vegas Aces entered Thursday night looking for a response after consecutive losses. By the second half, they had turned a one-point game into a rout. Jackie Young scored 24 points and grabbed seven rebounds in only three quarters , A'ja Wilson added 20 points, and the Aces defeated the Connecticut Sun 101-78 at Michelob ULTRA Arena. Las Vegas used a dominant third-quarter run to take control, improved to 25-13 , and extended its winning streak over Connecticut to 11 consecutive games. The final 23-point margin hardly reflected how competitive the first half had been. Connecticut trailed by only one point at halftime before Las Vegas dramatically changed the game with its defense, rebounding and transition opportunities. Jackie Young Leads the Aces With 24 Points Young was at the center of the Aces' offensive success. She finished with a game-high 24 points and seven rebounds , accomplishing all of it without playing during the fourth quarter because Las Vegas had already built such a commanding advantage. Her performance was not limited to scoring. Young attacked Connecticut's defense while remaining active on the glass and helping Las Vegas turn a close matchup into a comfortable victory. The photographs included with the supplied material reinforce her central role in the game. On page 3 , Young is shown reacting after scoring, while page 7 captures her making a no-look pass against Connecticut's defense. By the time the fourth quarter began, her work was essentially finished. Las Vegas no longer needed its leading scorer on the floor. Connecticut Keeps It Close Through the First Half The Sun did not initially resemble a team headed toward a 23-point defeat. Connecticut remained within striking distance throughout the opening half and entered the locker room trailing just 48-47 . Olivia Nelson-Ododa was particularly effective early, scoring 12 of her 14 points before halftime . Her production gave Connecticut enough offense to stay with a Las Vegas lineup featuring Young, Wilson and several other proven scorers. At halftime, there was little separation between the teams. That changed almost immediately after the break. A 16-0 Run Breaks the Game Open Las Vegas completely altered the matchup during the third quarter. The Aces unleashed a 16-0 run , turning a competitive game into one controlled by the home team. Connecticut suddenly struggled to generate the same offensive rhythm it had maintained during the first half, while Las Vegas began converting defensive pressure into scoring opportunities. The Aces did not simply improve offensively. They began controlling virtually every part of the game. By the time Connecticut found an answer, Las Vegas had created the type of cushion that allowed Young to spend the entire fourth quarter on the bench. A'ja Wilson Adds 20 Points Young led the scoring, but A'ja Wilson provided another strong performance with 20 points . Wilson's presence gave Connecticut another major problem to solve. The images included in the source material show her involvement throughout the night. Page 6 features Wilson taking the court before the game, while page 18 shows her looking for an open teammate while defended by Nelson-Ododa. With Young creating from the perimeter and Wilson operating as another primary scoring threat, Connecticut's defense eventually became overwhelmed. Las Vegas didn't need Wilson to produce a huge individual scoring total. Twenty points were more than enough. Cheyenne Parker-Tyus Gives Las Vegas a Major Bench Boost One of the biggest differences came from the Aces' supporting cast. Cheyenne Parker-Tyus scored 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds off the bench , narrowly missing a double-double. Her production gave Las Vegas another reliable scoring option beyond Young and Wilson. The source material also includes an action photograph on page 12 showing Parker-Tyus reacting after making a three-pointer against Connecticut. When a team already featuring Young and Wilson receives 18 points from a reserve, the margin for error becomes extremely small for its opponent. Connecticut discovered that quickly in the second half. Las Vegas Dominates the Rebounding Battle The Aces controlled the glass almost as decisively as they controlled the scoreboard. Las Vegas outrebounded Connecticut 40-23 . That 17-rebound advantage limited Connecticut's second opportunities while helping the Aces secure possessions and push the ball in the other direction. Parker-Tyus accounted for nine rebounds herself, while Young added seven. For Connecticut, the inability to compete consistently on the glass made recovering from the third-quarter run even more difficult. Missed shots frequently became the end of possessions. Against Las Vegas, that was costly. Connecticut's 19 Turnovers Become 28 Aces Points The Sun's other major problem was ball security. Connecticut committed 19 turnovers , and Las Vegas converted those mistakes into 28 points . That number helps explain how dramatically the game changed. The Aces were not simply forcing turnovers. They were turning those takeaways into immediate offensive production. One of the photographs in the supplied document illustrates that defensive pressure. On page 9 , Stephanie Talbot is shown stealing the ball from Nelson-Ododa during the matchup. Against an Aces team capable of scoring quickly, empty possessions were particularly damaging. Connecticut gave Las Vegas too many of them. Aces Continue Pulling Away in the Fourth The third-quarter surge put Las Vegas in control. The beginning of the fourth removed any realistic possibility of a Connecticut comeback. Las Vegas opened the final period with a 12-2 run , stretching its advantage to 87-65 . At that point, Young remained on the bench. The Aces no longer needed to rely heavily on their starters because the supporting rotation continued producing. The source material includes several images of that depth in action, including Chelsea Gray scoring on page 10 and Mai Yamamoto celebrating a three-pointer on page 15 . Las Vegas had transformed a 48-47 halftime advantage into a 22-point lead early in the fourth. That was the game. Jewell Loyd Reaches Another WNBA Milestone The victory also included a career milestone for Jewell Loyd . Loyd moved into eighth place on the WNBA's all-time list for made three-pointers , reaching 728 career threes . It was another accomplishment within a game where Las Vegas received contributions throughout its lineup. Young led the scoring. Wilson supplied 20. Parker-Tyus nearly recorded a double-double. And Loyd continued climbing the league's historical three-point rankings. Connecticut Receives Balanced Scoring but Not Enough Nelson-Ododa finished as Connecticut's leading scorer with 14 points , but most of that production came before halftime. Kennedy Burke and Leila Lacan scored 11 points each , while Charlisse Leger-Walker added 10 . The Sun had enough balanced production to remain competitive early. They didn't have enough to match Las Vegas once the Aces raised their level after halftime. The turnovers and rebounding deficit magnified the difference. Connecticut simply wasn't getting enough opportunities to keep pace. Las Vegas Extends Its Dominance Over Connecticut The victory continued a remarkably one-sided stretch in the matchup. Las Vegas has now defeated Connecticut 11 consecutive times . Thursday's game also demonstrated how quickly the Aces can change a matchup. For 20 minutes, Connecticut stayed with them. The Sun entered halftime down only 48-47. Then Las Vegas produced a 16-0 third-quarter run, followed it with a 12-2 burst to begin the fourth, and finished with 101 points . The Aces also snapped their own two-game losing streak in the process. Aces Get the Response They Needed Las Vegas didn't merely end its losing streak. The Aces produced the type of second-half performance that demonstrated how dangerous they can become once their defense begins creating offense. They won the rebounding battle by 17. They scored 28 points off Connecticut's 19 turnovers. Young scored 24 without playing in the fourth quarter. Wilson added 20. Parker-Tyus supplied 18 off the bench. The result was a 101-78 victory that looked nothing like the one-point game that existed at halftime. Connecticut will next travel to face Los Angeles, while Las Vegas heads to Toronto. For the Aces, Thursday provided exactly the response they were looking for. A close first half became a dominant second. And by the end of the night, Las Vegas had another triple-digit victory and its 11th consecutive win over the Sun .